nava24

I did it on both just to cover my back!

So excited for you [mention=264669]nava24[/mention]! The 23rd is our daughter's birthday [emoji16].
We're looking at heading out around the same time, I just need to get Mr Rich organised enough to book the flights! 
All the best and keep us updated! 

Flights are FINALLY booked for 23rd Jan 2018 [emoji4] Melbourne im comin for ya!

Just for anyone new here my stats were:

Applied 17th may 2017

Agent contacted a few weeks later requesting more info.

Info sent and medical processed.

Visa approval on 3rd July 2017

????

I did my medical check then sent everything off
They then asked for extra bits for the application so it doesnt really make a difference when you do it. The results come through very quick so no need to worry!good luck!

????

I thoroughly recommend it if you are in the UK worth every penny. Crashing your car because there's a huntsman on the window will cost even more. (There was and I didn't )[emoji3]

I was phobic, went on a course at London zoo before I moved out. Very glad I did.

There are almost 25 million people living in Australia. I'd imagine that very few of those 25 million actually like spiders, yet most of them - bar the occasional whinging pom on here - manage to live here quite happily.
I've been here for nearly 40 years in the suburbs of Sydney. I see about one huntsman a year. I've never seen a funnel-web and no-one I know has ever seen a funnel-web. I can count on one hand the number of redbacks I've seen. Redbacks live outside in the dark anyway, and funnel-webs live underground, they don't come wandering into your living room.
If you're going to be living in a normal suburban area spiders are a non-event. Don't worry about them.

I was petrified of spiders and creepy crawlies, even now seeing horrible pictures like those above send shivers through me but i have got a little braver. 
As soon as we got a house here we pest sprayed it ourselves inside and out every few months and for agessss we got nothing inside the house, even now 10 years on, due to actually seeing so few (we live on acerage) we spray maybe once or twice a year and see probably 1 spider every month, normally in the bath.lol... Thank god nothing massive as confronted me yet,lol.
You do see them out and about and walking into cobwebs still freaks me out,lol, but i am more 'settled' knowing they are around but dont really bother you.
Its funny as i bought a UK womens magazine today and there was a story in it about a NSW lady who had recently moved to the UK and got bitten on her head  by a false widow spider, ending up with her being admitted to hospital for a while. It said she had lived in Aus years and never had a bite,lol. 
So yes they are here but you learn to be careful when gardening etc and before long it just comes naturally and you dont stress aboyt seeing them as much.
Cal x

Thanks for all your replies! I think it's a matter of being there and experiencing it myself:)

????

Its fine. Honestly, you shouldn't have any real issues. 
The fast moving ones and often pretty big are huntsman and they are pretty harmless. They eat other bugs and stuff so I leave them alone, even though I don't like fast moving spiders. But trying to catch them to put them outside is a far worse thing to attempt to do [emoji23]
Red backs are pretty easy to spot and if they are indoors they get rehomed. Same with the white tails. Both of these can bite and so we don't like to leave them in the house if we find them. Neither are particularly quick moving. 
Then you have wolf spiders in the garden and again, just leave them alone and let them go on their way. 
In parts of NSW you have the funnel web and if you are really wanting to read up on that, go ahead. But please know its not a big thing to panic over. 
If you read up on the stats of how many people get bitten and how many actually die from spider bites, its not many. 
Just make yourself familiar with the native species that you need to be aware of and you'll be fine. 
We've been here almost 4 years now and have come across all sorts in and around the house, garden and when out. None of us have come to any harm. And think about it, your Aussie hubby grew up just fine, as did mine and many we know [emoji3]
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2012/08/australian-spiders-the-10-most-dangerous/

They have 8 legs

I've had a search around the forum and looked at a few posts but just wanted to do one myself.

Hubby is an aussie and we are moving in November. There was a pretty big (for me being from the UK) spider in our bedroom last night and it scared me a bit.

We are moving to Melbourne first then travelling round Aus. My thoughts are if other people from the UK have moved and still there how bad can it REALLY be? I know there are a lot of jokes about it where people think they are on every corner you turn....

Can someone give me a real insight into reality with spiders in Aus? Im not talking snakes, insects or bugs, just spiders!

????

Lodged subclass 309 Feb 2015
Granted October 2015
Arrived in Australia December 2015
Lodged subclass 100 Feb 2017
Patiently waiting... driving us insane. 
Application on Immi account states not allocated, is this normal? We applied before changes within this years 2017 budget which took affect july 2017.. 

Been a while since I've been on. We arrived in Melbourne 16th June.  We have settled in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, daughter in school as of last week for start of Term 3 and we found our house and got keys 3/7.  Both husband and I started work this week so we have packed a lot into our short time here. We are loving life here and so happy to have made the move. Things would be sweeter if we had our container which suffered delays leaving the UK for no apparent reason but that's been the only glitch!  Good luck to all those waiting on grants, and congrats to those recently granted!! 

Hi! My application was sent on 28/6/17, got a standard auto reply on 29th saying it has been received. Heard nothing since :-( 309/100 offshore

Sent from my Archos 50 Power using PomsinOz mobile app

It took less than 2 months?! Wow! What was the process like and did you have any problems? Thanks a lot!

No worries yeah we were shocked at how quick it was approved. No issues at all. Was contacted by a case officer not long after asking more info & bobs your uncle it was approved. I think its just evidence and things they need to see it is genuine

????

Hi millie. I applied offshore in uk. Applied on 17th may and got it approved 3rd july! Obviously everyone will be different and take longer but from what i have seen it takes a lot shorter. Any other qs feel free to ask

????

You submit it and pay first then attach the docs after

????

Thank you! Yes we have tenancy agreement, phone bills from when we were apart, photos, emails, pictures of us with our daughter, and families, two 888 forms, and all Forms of I.D, and that kind of thing, do you think that's enough to send over? Don't have any bills in joint names as my partner paid them all as I was not working just had a baby x


Sent using Poms in Oz mobile app

I just uploaded as much as possible and filled 60 slots! Didnt use an agent. Not long after a case officer contacted me asking for a few more bits n bobs your uncle my visa was granted in no time. As long as they can see the obvious things are there you will have no issue. The c/o will ask for anything extra they need. Good luck!!!!

????

A few years now, but it is still going.
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/plan-travel/packages/singapore-stopover-holiday/

We stopped off in Singapore but we didn't leave the airport as we stopped in the hotel transit you can book it in hourly blocks.
Singapore is ok, my hubby and the boys loved it when we went there on holiday and stayed at Sentosa. Everything is really expensive though especially the hotels. 
Hong Kong I liked but it's funny when I was there I wouldn't say I thought much of it but once I was home I couldn't wait to visit again. They have some great markets and everything is so cheap.
 

Not sure on the price to be honest, but don't think it was much more than a straight through / connecting flight, in the grand scheme of things (given how much it costs in the first place to get to Aus!). 

Singapore is excellent and if flying Singapore Air, ask about the Singapore Stopover. It is a scheme they don't advertise much, but is an amazing deal - basically it is a highly subsidized deal for passengers to have a few days in Singapore. We did it and ended up paying £25 for a suite in the Ritz including transfers from the airport and back and attraction tickets to anything in Singapore. One of the big pluses is that you don't even need to check in again as the airline treats you as if you are still in transit.

yep, I have stopped in Singapore and Hong Kong for 2-3 days each. Very easy to do. Hong Kong has city airport check (at Central and Kowloon train stations) in so you don't need to lug your bags around if your flight is not until late in the day. Also really well connected by train.  Singapore I'm less familar with, but still pretty easy from memory. 
I like the chance to re-set and relax a bit, but also see the benefits in keeping on the move, and getting the flights over and done with!